Lawless said that if Ireland fully adopted modern construction, the shortfall in workers could fall to 40,000. The Minister expects “a lot of the new student accommodation” to be built through modern methods of construction. The Government was trying to provide “high-quality, high-spec student accommodation blocks, but with more shared spaces”, he said. So it’s about trying to get more occupancy and more shared facilities, which would be the norm in most student accommodation around the world.”Lawless said Ireland was “overspeccing” student accommodation, adding features beyond requirements. Lawless says he would be open to Ireland legislating to protect the zones around Ireland’s undersea cables better.

Source: The Irish Times January 08, 2026 15:46 UTC